Shoe merchandizing and handling system

ABSTRACT

A shoe merchandizing system wherein there is provided an upstanding member that has support units affixed thereto whereby a plurality of shoes can be conveniently supported in a retail establishment, shoe store, or the like.

United States Patent Allsop et al.

SHOE MERCHANDIZING AND HANDLING SYSTEM Inventors: Ivor J. Allsop; Jon I. Allsop;

Michael G. Allsop; James D. Allsop, all of PO. Box 23, Bellingham, Wash. 98225 Filed: Apr. 30, 1973 Appl. No.: 355,698

US. Cl. 211/37 Int. Cl. A47f 7/08 7 Field of Search 211/34, 35, 36, 37, 38

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Harding 211/35 Mar. 11, 1975 2,566,656 9/1951 David 211/31 3,412,866 11/1968 Binding... 211/37 3,425,564 2/1969 Allsop l 211/37 3,478,890 11/1969 Allsop 211/37 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 304,164 9/1968 Sweden 211/37 Primary Examiner-William H. Schultz Attorney, Agent, or FirmSherman Levy [57] ABSTRACT A shoe merchandizing system wherein there is provided an upstanding member that has support units affixed thereto whereby a plurality of shoes can be conveniently supported in a retail establishment, shoe store, or the like.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARI 1 I975 muv m s a SHEET 2 BF 4 SHEET 3 0F 4 1 l1. Mgr A mm om W: Kw)

SE::5 :=2:=5 :55:22:22:: F R i I Wm SHOE, MERCHANDIZING AND HANDLING SYSTEM The present invention relates to a shoe merchandizing system, particularly to a means for supporting a plurality of shoes in a retail establishment, such as a shoe store, or other location, whereby access can be readily gained to the shoes being displayed.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a shoe merchandizing system that includes a means for displaying a plurality of individual shoes, and' wherein the individual shoes are readily removable or replaceable from their supports.

Yet another object is the provision of a shoe merchandizing system that includes a means on the outer end thereof that indicates desired information, such as sizes of shoes, as well as prices thereof, and wherein with the present invention, maximum exposure of the shoes is assured, so that the shoes can be merchandized in the most advantageous manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe merchandizingsystem that permits shoes to be merchandized with a minimum amount of help, and wherein all shoes are out in the open, and wherein there is provided a locking device for retaining the unit in place, a plurality of the shoes adapted to be supported in members that can be arranged on a suitable support that may be rotatably mounted.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a merchandizing system for regular shoes, tennis shoes, or any other kind of shoes, wherein the various shoes can be readily removed from the device, there being a means on the device for holding suitable indicia, such as price tags, sizes of the shoes, and the like, as well as refill information.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described that can also be used for home shoe storage, and wherein a plurality of the members can be arranged in a suitable location such as a closet, so that a plurality of shoes can be conveniently supported betweenthe floor and the ceiling.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and'related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating certain structural details of the shoe merchandizing and handling device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the shoe holder.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view illustrating a pair of the shoe holders, and showing in broken lines a shoe positioned in one of the devices.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view, taken on the line 66 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, illustrating a plurality of the devices mounted on a rotary shoe rack for use in a retail shoe establishment, or the like.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral indicates a support member that has a plurality of brackets 31 suitably affixed thereto, and each of the therewith, there being a lug or tongue piece 38 on the outer end of the member 37, and the lug 38 has an inclined surface 39 thereon for a purpose to be later described.

The member has a flange 42 thereon, and spaced apart lugs 40 are arranged on the flange 42, there being inclined surfaces 41 on the lugs 40.

As shown in the drawings, each bracket 31 has the same construction and each includes a pair of spaced apart flange portions 43 as well as an intermediate web 44, and the web 44 may have a generally V-shaped recess 45 as well as circular cut-out or recess 46 for re ducing the amount of material needed to fabricate these pieces. Spaced apart lugs 47 are formed on the outer end portions of the flange 43, FIG. 1, and the lugs 47 may have inclined surfaces 48 thereon.

The numeral 49 indicates a body member or bar that is mounted between each adjacent pair of brackets 31. Each body member-or rail 49 includes a flat section 50, FIG. 4, and channel sections or portions 51 are formed on the outer edges of the flat section 50. The channel sections 51 includeinwardly projecting flange portions 52 that coact with the adjacent parts to define channels or grooves 53.-The flange portions 52 are snugly received between thelugs 47 and 48 when the parts are in assembled position, and the inner end'of the member 49 is also received between the lugs 40 on the member A locking means is-provided for retaining the bar 49 in place between the brackets 31, and this locking means is indicated by the numeral 54 in FIG. 3, and the locking means consists of an opening 55 formed in the bar 49 adjacent an end thereof, and the opening 55 is adapted to selectively receive the tongue 38 on the member 37. When it is desired to release the bar 49 from between the brackets, it is only necessary to slightly flex or move the member 37 so that the lug 38 will clear the opening 55, whereby the bar can be readily removed. This construction and arrangement, therefore, facilitates the ready assembly and disassembly of the device, so that, for example, the parts can be shipped or stored in a compact arrangement until the device is to be assembled and used.

There is further provided an article or shoe holding means that is indicated by the numeral 56, whereby members such as shoes 57 can be conveniently merchandized and displayed or stored in a highly advantageous manner. The shoe holding means 56 includes a pair of similar base elements 58 that each comprise a flat section 59 that has spaced parallel first portions 60 arranged at right angles thereto. Second portions 61 are arranged at right angles with respect to the portions 60, and third portions 62 are arranged at right angles with respect to the portions 61.

Each base element 58 further includes a portion 63 that is offset from the portion 59 whereby there is defined a groove 64 between the portions 59 and 63, FIG. 2, and the portion 59 has an over-hanging lip 29, as shown in the drawings.

The numeral 65 includes a heel piece that is adapted to be operatively connected to one of the base elements 58, and the heel piece 65 includes a base section 66 that has a generally rectangular opening 67 therein, FIG. 2. The heel piece 65 further includes an arcuate heel gripping section 68 that has curved portions 69 thereon for snugly and conveniently gripping the heel portion 70 of a shoe 57 that is being merchandized or stored or displayed. The opening 67 is adapted to register with the opening 71 in the portion 63 when the parts are assembled. The numeral 72 indicates a groove that is formed in the outer surface of the heel piece 65, and the groove 72 is adapted to be selectively engaged by an L-shaped tongue or dog 73 that is formed on the portion 63. The numeral 74 indicates inclined retainers or projections that are formed on the inner surface of the base elements 58, and resilient members or rubber bands 75 extend between the projections 74 for normally urging or biasing the heel piece 65 towards a stationary toe piece 76, whereby the shoes 57 will be gripped or held in their proper location. The toe piece 76 is adapted to receive or engage the toe portion 77 of the shoe 57.

The toe piece 76 includes a base portion 78 that has a toe retaining section 79 thereon, and a slot or groove 80 is formed in the portion 79 for selectively receiving the L-shaped retainer 73, FIG. 2. The base portion 78 has a rectangular opening 81 therein that is adapted to register with one of the openings, and the opening 81 is adapted to register with one of the openings 71 in the member 58. I

The numeral 94 indicates an end piece that is mounted releasably on the outer end of each bar 49, and each end piece 94 is adapted to provide a means for conveniently supporting an indicia tab 86 that may have price information as well as sizes ofthe shoes 57 being merchandized, together with any other information, such as refill information for use of store personnel. The numeral 82 indicates a generally T-shaped slot that is formed in the outer end of the bar 49, FIG. 2. The end piece 94 includes flange sections 83 and 84 which define a groove or space 85 for receiving the indicia card or ticket 86. Stop pieces 87 are arranged ad-. jacent one end of the member 94, while the opposite end of the member 94 is open, and the elements 87 help retain the card 86 in its proper position.

The end piece 94 further includes a pair of spaced parallel legs 88 secured thereto or formed integral therewith, and inclined lug members 90 are arranged on the ends of the cross piece 89. Arranged on the sides of the cross piece 89 are projections or lugs 91. The numeral 92 indicates spaced parallel ribs that are formed on the end piece 94. The slot 82 has a constructional formation so that shoulders 93 are formed or provided in the portion 50 of the bar 49 as shown in the drawings. The registering openings 81 and 71 are adapted to selectively receive the lug 90 whereby the toe piece is held stationary by this locking arrangement.

Referring to FIG. 7 of the drawings, the numeral 95 indicates a stand or rack that may be arranged in a suitable location such as a retail shoe store, and the stand 95 may include a stationary base 96 that has a vertically disposed post 97 rotatively connected thereto. A plurality of shoe holders 98 of the present invention can be connected to the post 97, so that when using the device of FIG. 7, a customer or other person can readily rotate the device until he or she finds shoes to their liking, and then the shoes can be readily removed and tried on or purchased in a highly efficient and advantageous manner.

The heel piece 65 and toe piece 76 each have an offset lip 99 for slidably engaging the groove 64 whereby the offset lip 99 can coact with the projection. 29 to maintain the heel piece and toe piece connected to the base element 58.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided a shoe merchandizing and handling system, and in use with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, a plurality of the shoe holding devices 98 can be suitably mounted in place, and, for example, a plurality of the units 98 may be fastened to a rotary post or support 97 that is rotatively connected to a stationary base 96, as shown in FIG. 7. Or, the devices 98 may be fastened to a stationary support such as the support 30. It is to be understood that the present invention is thus directed to the shoe merchandizing and handling devices, per se, and are not limited to any particular type of stationary or rotary support.

When using the devices, the parts are arranged as shown in the drawings, so that the plurality of the brackets 31 are fastened to a support such as the support 30 by means of bolts or screws 33 that extend through the portion 32. Then, the bar or body member 49 is inserted between adjacent pairs of brackets 31 and it is to be understood that a plurality of the bars 49 are used. The bar 49 is arranged in its proper location by means of the spaced apart lugs 40 which engage the edges 52 of the bar 49, and there is provided the locking means 54 for maintaining the bar in place, so that I the same will not accidently become loose. The locking means 54 consists of the lug 38 on the projection 37, the lug 38 is adapted to snap into the opening or aperture 55 in the end of the bar 49, so that the bar will be held in its proper location. When it is desired to disassemble the unit, the projection 37can be readily flexed outwardly slightly, so that the lug 38 will clear the opening 55, whereby the bar 49 can be removed. The various lugs such as the lug 38 have inclined surfaces 39 thereon, and similarly, the lugs 47 and 48 have inclined surfaces thereon so that the bar 49 can be readily guided into place with respect to these lugs. The lugs 47 and 48 cooperate with the lugs 40 to maintain the bar in its proper aligned position.

When initially assembling the device, after the bar has been inserted between the brackets, before mounting the end piece 94 in place, the heel piece 65 and toe piece 76 are connected to the base elements 58 by sliding the fingers 99 through the groove 64 sideways whereby the projecting lips 29 will cooperate with the fingers 99 to maintain the heel piece and toe piece connected to their respective base elements 58. Then, the rubber band or resilient member is arranged in engagement with the projections 74 on the base elements 58 and the base elements are then moved in endwise through the outer ends of the bar 49. At this time, the portions 60, 61 and 62 of the base elements will snugly be received in the grooves 53 of the bar 49. Then, the

end piece 94 is arranged on the outer end of the bar 49 so that a lug 90 on the end piece 94 projects into engagement with one of the openings 71 in the outermost base element, whereby the outermost base element with the toe piece thereon will be held in a stationary position. At the same time, the lugs 91 will cooperate with the shoulders 93 to help maintain the end piece 94 in place. The toe piece 76 remains fixed in place, but the heel piece 65 can move towards and away from the stationary toe piece, due to the provision of the rubber band 75. This flexible arrangement thus permits shoes, such as the shoes 57 to be gripped between the toe piece and the heel piece, and wherein the rubber band 75 will assure that sufficient pressure is exerted on the shoe so that the shoes will be retained in a convenient location, easily visible to the consumer or other person. When a consumer desires to remove one of the shoes, it is only necessary to manually push the heel piece 65 with slight pressure away from the stationary toe piece 76 whwerebypressure on the shoe will be released, so that the shoe can be removed. 4

The end piece 94 has the space 85 therein whereby an indicia tag or card 86 can be positioned therein, and this card or tag 86 may have information thereon such as the price of the shoes, as well as the size of the shoes, together with any information that facilitates the refilling of the devices after shoes have been removed or sold.

It is to be understood that the parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes or sizes as desired or required.

When inserting shoes into the device, it is only necessary to take the heel portion of the shoe and place it in engagement with the heel piece 65, and then shove it down or inward whereby the rubber band 75 will be stretched or expanded until sufficient clearance is provided for the toe of the shoe to be received in the toe piece 76 and then manual pressure can be released, whereby the shoe will be clamped in place. The rubber band 75 is held in place by the lugs or projections 74. The base 58 with the heel piece 65 thereon can slide or move along the bar 49, but the toe piece and its corresponding base .element 58 are locked in place by means of the end piece 94. The end piece 94 thus serves a dual purpose, that is, it provides a locking means for holding the toe piece stationary, and in addition, the end piece 94 provides a convenient means for displaying information on the card'or indicia tab 86.

The present invention is adapted to hold all types of shoes except ski boots.

When using the device, it will be seen that various types of shoes, such as sport shoes, tennis shoes and the like can be individually displayed, and the individual shoes are readily removable and replaceable. Thus, when using the device or system in a retail shoe store,

'maximum exposure is provided and wherein theshoes can be merchandized with a minimum number of employees or help, since a customer can readily see a great number of shoes and pick the ones that he or she desires, and remove the same, and then, if necessary, try these shoes on. A shoe store equipped with the present invention may be provided with a single bench area or other work space, and if desired, an employee of the store can replace any shoes that have been removed by the customers.

Thus, there has been provided a merchandizing system for various types of shoes, such as regular shoes, or

street shoes, tennis shoes, or the like, and with the present invention the holders do not come off the rack as in the case of prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,564, since with the present invention only the shoes are removed from the shoe holding mechanism. Primarily, the present invention is a merchandizing system, although it can also be used for home shoe storage. When using the system in the home, a plurality of devices can be arranged in a suitable location, such as a closet, and for example, approximately 16 pairs of shoes can be supported between the floor and the ceiling. The use of the indicia card 86 on the end of the device provides a means for indicating to the customer the price of the shoes, and in addition, facilitates the taking of annual inventory and the like, because when arranged in a store if the slot is empty, or otherwise indicative of such a condition, a refill can be made with a particular number corresponding to a stock room number by a store clerk or other personnel, and. the refill can be inserted in the store so that the selling of shoes will be greatly facilitated.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shoe merchandizing and handling system. a support member, a plurality of spaced apart brackets affixed to said support member and each bracket including a base portion, first and second members extending from said base portion, a flange extending from said first member and having a lug thereon, a flanged member extending from said second member and having a lug thereon, the brackets including flanges having spaced apart lugs thereon, a web between the flanges of the brackets; a bar mounted between adjacent brackets and each bar including a flat section and channel portions thereon for engagement by the lugs of the brackets, a locking means for retaining thebar in place between thev brackets, said locking means including an opening in an end portion of the bar for selectively receiving a lug on one of the members projecting from the bracket; shoe holding means operatively connected to each bar and each shoe holding means comprising a pair of similar base elements, said base elements having portions slidably engaging said bar, there being a groove in each base element, a heel piece and a toe piece having a finger engaging the corresponding groove in the base element, L'shaped keepers on said base element for engaging grooves in the outer surfaces of the heel piece and base piece, resilient means operatively connecting said pair of base elements together; there being a slot in the outer end of the bar, an end piece mounted on the outer end of said bar for selectively engaging the base element having the toe piece thereon, and said end piece having indicia therein.

2. In a shoe merchandizing and handling system, a support member, brackets affixed to said support member and each bracket including a base postion, first and second members extending from said base portion, a flange extending from said first member and having a lug thereon, a flanged member extending from said second member and having a lug thereon, the brackets inand each shoe holding means comprising a pair of base elements, said base element having portions slidably engaging said bar, there being a groove in each base element, a heel piece and a toe piece having a finger engaging the corresponding groove in the base element, keepers on said base elements for engaging grooves in the heel piece and base piece, and resilient means operatively connecting said pair of base elements together. 

1. In a shoe merchandizing and handling system, a support member, a plurality of spaced apart brackets affixed to said support member and each bracket including a base portion, first and second members extending from said base portion, a flange extending from said first member and having a lug thereon, a flanged member extending from said second member and having a lug thereon, the brackets including flanges having spaced apart lugs thereon, a web between the flanges of the brackets; a bar mounted between adjacent brackets and eAch bar including a flat section and channel portions thereon for engagement by the lugs of the brackets, a locking means for retaining the bar in place between the brackets, said locking means including an opening in an end portion of the bar for selectively receiving a lug on one of the members projecting from the bracket; shoe holding means operatively connected to each bar and each shoe holding means comprising a pair of similar base elements, said base elements having portions slidably engaging said bar, there being a groove in each base element, a heel piece and a toe piece having a finger engaging the corresponding groove in the base element, L-shaped keepers on said base element for engaging grooves in the outer surfaces of the heel piece and base piece, resilient means operatively connecting said pair of base elements together; there being a slot in the outer end of the bar, an end piece mounted on the outer end of said bar for selectively engaging the base element having the toe piece thereon, and said end piece having indicia means therein.
 1. In a shoe merchandizing and handling system, a support member, a plurality of spaced apart brackets affixed to said support member and each bracket including a base portion, first and second members extending from said base portion, a flange extending from said first member and having a lug thereon, a flanged member extending from said second member and having a lug thereon, the brackets including flanges having spaced apart lugs thereon, a web between the flanges of the brackets; a bar mounted between adjacent brackets and eAch bar including a flat section and channel portions thereon for engagement by the lugs of the brackets, a locking means for retaining the bar in place between the brackets, said locking means including an opening in an end portion of the bar for selectively receiving a lug on one of the members projecting from the bracket; shoe holding means operatively connected to each bar and each shoe holding means comprising a pair of similar base elements, said base elements having portions slidably engaging said bar, there being a groove in each base element, a heel piece and a toe piece having a finger engaging the corresponding groove in the base element, Lshaped keepers on said base element for engaging grooves in the outer surfaces of the heel piece and base piece, resilient means operatively connecting said pair of base elements together; there being a slot in the outer end of the bar, an end piece mounted on the outer end of said bar for selectively engaging the base element having the toe piece thereon, and said end piece having indicia means therein. 